[mythtv-users] Any reason for PVR-350 over 250?

[Darryl Okahata]

John Smith <john_smith_45678 at yahoo.com> wrote:

> So, any reason(s) to choose a pvr-350 instead of a
> pvr-250?

     The reasons aren't much:

* The PVR-350's TV output is known to of "high quality".  The TV-out of
  video cards seem to vary widely in quality.  If you can find a video
  card that gives high-quality TV-out, then this reason (to get a
  PVR-350) is nullified.

* Power usage (maybe).  A couple of weeks back, I had a PVR-350 in a
  1.3GHz Athlon-based system (plain Athlon, 512MB PC2100 RAM, 64MB
  440MX, 200MB disk, & el-cheapo DVDROM drive), and it sucked an average
  of, oh, 130W (without monitor).  Electricity is expensive where I am;
  at the prices I pay, that extra ~130W translates into another, oh,
  ~$20 each month if I left the box on 24x7.

  Not having a slightly power-sucking video card can be a plus (less
  power).  On the other hand, having a supported power-sucking video
  card means that you should get better divx, etc., playback.

  (This isn't particularly useful for you, and is something of an
  "apples and oranges" comparison.)  If you go with a "low-power" EPIA
  M10000 (and no 440MX, as the M10000 has only one PCI slot and no AGP
  slots), you can get the power down to below 70W.  However, this
  approach has other problems, as has already been mentioned in this
  list.

Another reason to get the 250 is that it's easily found.  Finding a 350
right now isn't easy.

> Or do some people prefer something other than
> the pvr-x50's or even software encoding?

     No, if you can afford it, you WANT to get a 250 or 350 (IMO ;-).

-- 
	Darryl Okahata
	darrylo at soco.agilent.com

DISCLAIMER: this message is the author's personal opinion and does not
constitute the support, opinion, or policy of Agilent Technologies, or
of the little green men that have been following him all day.